Dudu Nobre

João Eduardo de Salles Nobre (born on November 6, 1974), better known as Dudú Nobre, is a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and composer, who gained recognition as a proficient cavaquinho player in the escola de samba scene. After receiving classical piano lessons, Nobre picked up the cavaquinho at the age of 5, which ended up being his instrument of choice. Inspired by his love of pagode and samba, he joined several escolas de samba during his teenage years, most notably Aprendizes do Salgueiro and Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, with whom he toured throughout Brazil and Europe. During that time, Nobre not only acted as a singer and performer but also wrote hits for other artists, such as “Água da minha sede,” “Vou botar teu nome na macumba,” and “Quem é ela.” Following a six-year stint playing cavaquinho in the backing band of legendary sambistas Zeca Pagodinho, Almir Guineto, and Pedrinho da Flor, he released his eponymous studio debut in 1999. In subsequent years, Nobre’s figure continued to grow in the samba scene, releasing the successful albums Chegue Mais (2002), the collaborative Ainda É Cedo (2013), and O Cavaco Foi pra Pista (2019), a collaboration with DJs Marlboro, Negralha, and Henrique Camacho that combined traditional Brazilian music with electronica.